ETT to payout 2025 dividends to shareholders by April 30 www.gogo.mn

The board of directors has approved distribution of dividends from the company’s 2025 net profit, the firm announced.

Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi reported a MNT 1.1 trillion net profit for 2025. The board agreed to pay a total of MNT 786.6 billion to shareholders, equivalent to ₮65.55 per share, of which MNT 208.5 billion will be paid to 3.5 million Mongolian shareholders.

The acting chief executive was instructed to organise payment to individual citizens holding 1,072 shares. Under the board decision, those shareholders will receive MNT 63,242 (after tax) each. The company said the dividend payments to holders of 1,072 shares will be completed by April 30, 2026, in accordance with the law and established procedures, and in cooperation with relevant authorities.

Mongolia Ranked Among Five Most Peaceful Countries in Asia www.montsame.mn

 In the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2025 report, Mongolia was ranked among the five most peaceful countries in Asia.   

Over the past 10 years, Mongolia’s performance in the GPI has improved, allowing the country to consistently rank among the world’s top 50 nations. For instance, in 2015, Mongolia ranked 42nd in the world with a score of 2.22. Ten years later, its score improved to 1.71, placing it 5th in Asia and 37th out of 163 countries globally.

The Asia ranking was led by Singapore, followed by Japan, Malaysia, and Bhutan, with Mongolia coming next.

Released annually by Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), the GPI ranks over 163 independent states and territories according to their levels of peacefulness. A composite index measuring the peacefulness of the countries is made up of 23 quantitative and qualitative indicators, each weighted on a scale of 1-5. The lower the score, the more peaceful the country. Indicators include perceptions of criminality, homicide rate, intensity of internal conflict, weapons imports, deaths from internal conflict, external conflicts fought, and others.

According to the report, Mongolia received favorable evaluations for its relatively stable political environment in the region, low level of external conflict, and strong indicators of societal safety and security.

In January, Mongolia recorded 44,767 tourist arrivals ahead of the 2026 Tourism Week www.open.kg

At the beginning of 2026, Mongolia recorded 44,767 international tourist arrivals in January, confirming a sustained interest in winter tourism. This data was presented by the Mongolian Tourism Organization (MTO) on their official platforms, highlighting the success of promotional activities and the strategic positioning of the country as a unique tourist destination with vast landscapes and nomadic heritage.

The MTO emphasized that January tourism holds special significance for the country, as winter tourism offerings, including cultural events and festivals, contribute to the diversification of the tourism sector beyond the traditional summer peak. The publication TravelDailyNews also noted the need to maintain international visibility for tourism throughout the year.

Additionally, the Mongolian Tourism Administration (MTO) announced preparations for "Tourism Week 2026," which will serve as an important platform for developing institutional coordination and professional standards in the tourism sector.

During "Tourism Week 2026," representatives from government bodies, tourism associations, and private operators are expected to participate. The event's program will focus on strategic priorities, product development, and human resource potential, while discussions will address improving service quality and adapting offerings to meet international market demands.

Industry forums, workshops, and professional certification are planned as part of the week, including the first summer examination cycle for licensed guides in 2026, which will help raise professional standards and prepare qualified personnel for the peak season.

This event will also promote cooperation between central authorities and regional stakeholders in the tourism sector, supporting structured planning and long-term sustainability of the sector. Previously, Mongolian authorities have emphasized the importance of enhancing service quality and coordinated marketing as key factors for future growth.

The combination of nearly 45,000 foreign tourists arriving in the country in January and the upcoming initiative "Tourism Week 2026" underscores the importance of maintaining positive momentum in inbound tourism.

Mongolian mining family buys $31.5M Hong Kong luxury home for retirement www.e.vnexpress.net

A wealthy Mongolian mining family has purchased a luxury detached house in Hong Kong’s Southern District for HK$247 million (US$31.5 million) to turn it into a 'retirement residence.'
Tisara Holdings, directed by Tselmuun Nyamtaishir, reached a provisional agreement on Jan. 29 to purchase House 5 at One Stanley, located along Wong Ma Kok Road in Stanley, according to Land Registry records as reported by Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.

Nyamtaishir serves as president and chief executive of Mongolyn Alt (MAK), the diversified mining and industrial group established in 1993 by her father, Byambaa Nyamtaishir.

She is also a non-executive director at XacBank, a major financial services provider in Mongolia.

MAK is among Mongolia’s leading coal exporters and one of the country’s early domestic producers supplying coal to China. The group has collaborated with partners including Qinghua Group and Huawei Technologies, while investing in infrastructure upgrades at the Shiveekhuren border crossing to expand export throughput.

One Stanley, comprises 43 blocks, offering a total of 82 units. It has attracted wealthy local and overseas buyers seeking privacy, exclusivity and sea views.

The Southern District and The Peak are among Hong Kong’s most prestigious residential areas and have been at the forefront of a broader recovery in the city’s luxury housing market after years of falling prices, China Daily reported.

The two districts recorded 174 primary and secondary market transactions in 2025, with total deal value rising 21.2% year on year to HKD19.9 billion, according to brokerage data.

This marked the highest annual turnover since 2021, when transaction value reached HKD26.1 billion at the previous market peak.

Chinese Embassy denies ties to Mongolian pilot arrested in Zambales www.filipinotimes.net

The Embassy of China in the Philippines said the Mongolian national arrested in Iba, Zambales has no connection to the Chinese government.

“To the best of our knowledge, this individual has no affiliation with China,” the embassy’s deputy spokesperson said in a statement.

The official also cautioned against drawing conclusions while the investigation is ongoing, stressing that “prejudging the matter before the facts are fully ascertained is fundamentally flawed and runs counter to basic principles of objectivity.”

Authorities have initiated deportation proceedings against the foreign national.

According to information obtained by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Mongolian citizen was allegedly a jet fighter pilot of the People’s Liberation Army and had completed training at the PLA Air Force Aviation University.

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año earlier disclosed details of the suspect’s purported military background.

The foreigner is currently detained at the custodial facility of the Bureau of Immigration as the investigation continues.

Immigration authorities said the individual has denied the allegations against him.

Ancient DNA reveals Golden Horde elites’ Mongolian roots and ties to Central Eurasian populations www.archaeologymag.com

Researchers have analyzed ancient DNA from four elite burials in the Ulitau region of central Kazakhstan and traced their ancestry to the Mongolian Plateau. The graves belong to members of the Golden Horde, the northwestern branch of the Mongol Empire founded by descendants of Genghis Khan. The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and offer rare genetic data from the ruling class of this medieval state.

The Golden Horde took shape in the thirteenth century under Jochi, the eldest son of Genghis Khan. His successors ruled large parts of Central Eurasia and Eastern Europe. Local tradition holds that one of the mausoleums studied in Ulitau contains Jochi’s remains. The research team did not confirm the identity of the individual in that tomb, but the genetic evidence places the buried elites within a clear Mongolian lineage.

Scientists extracted DNA from three men and one woman buried in the mausoleums. Genome analysis showed that the three men shared a paternal line. All carried a Y-chromosome lineage known as haplogroup C3, often linked to populations from the Mongolian Plateau. Around twenty years ago, researchers reported that a large number of men across Central Eurasia shared a related Y-chromosome pattern. Some estimates suggested that about one in 200 men carried a lineage traced to the Mongol expansion.

The new results add detail to that picture. The Golden Horde males belonged to a specific branch within the broader C3 group. Modern populations carry related branches at different frequencies, but the exact sublineage found in these tombs appears less common today than the larger cluster. Ancient DNA allows researchers to separate close branches that look similar in living populations.

The team also examined the full genomes of the four individuals. Most of their ancestry traces back to Ancient Northeast Asian groups. A smaller portion is linked to Ancient North Eurasians or steppe populations related to Scythians, including Kipchak tribes who lived in the region before and during Mongol rule. Historical sources describe alliances and integration between Mongol rulers and local steppe groups. The genetic data align with that record.
 
Archaeological evidence from the mausoleums supports this view. Burial structures and artifacts combine Mongol traditions with local elements, pointing to a ruling class that maintained eastern roots while governing western territories. The graves reflect a society in transition rather than one in isolation.

Ancient DNA reveals Golden Horde elites’ Mongolian roots and ties to Central Eurasian populations
Jochi Mausoleum, Ulytau Region, Kazakhstan. Public domain
Researchers also built an identity-by-descent network using genomic data. Through this method, they identified genetic ties between the Ulitau individuals and medieval populations on the Mongolian Plateau. These links show continued biological connections between western Mongol elites and their eastern homelands.

The burial site of Genghis Khan has never been found, and without his remains, no direct genetic comparison is possible. Even so, the Ulitau genomes narrow the range of likely lineages within the ruling family. The study provides direct ancient DNA evidence from high-status Golden Horde burials and refines long-standing claims about the spread of haplogroup C3 during the Mongol Empire.

By Dario Radley

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio Sends Tsagaan Sar Greetings to Mongolia www.montsame.mn

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio extended his greetings to the people of Mongolia on the occasion of Tsagaan Sar, the Mongolian Lunar New Year.

In his message, he conveyed warm wishes to all Mongolians and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to strengthening its Strategic Third Neighbor Partnership with Mongolia, wishing everyone health, happiness, and prosperity in the Year of the Fire Horse.

Industrial Sector Output Increases by 55 Percent www.montsame.mn

Mongolia’s industrial sector output reached MNT 5.4 trillion as of preliminary results of January 2026, marking an increase of 55 percent, or MNT 1.9 trillion, compared to the same period last year.

According to the National Statistics Office of Mongolia, the growth was mainly driven by the mining and quarrying sector, which rose by 68 percent (MNT 1.8 trillion), and the electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply sector, which increased by 34.3 percent (MNT 95.3 billion).

In January’s preliminary results, mining and quarrying output totaled MNT 4.4 trillion. This growth was largely due to a 2.2-fold increase (MNT 1.4 trillion) in metal ore mining and a 29.9 percent rise (MNT 396.4 billion) in hard coal and lignite mining.

In physical terms, production of iron ore and copper concentrate (in metal content), as well as hard coal and iron ore volume, increased between 3.5 percent and 2.3 times compared to the same period last year. However, output of unrefined gold, crude oil, fluorspar, lignite, silver, and zinc concentrate declined by 2.5 to 89.1 percent.

In the manufacturing sector, physical production of key products such as water, beverages and juice, metal castings, lime, cashmere knitwear, combed cashmere, and cement increased between 1.8 percent and 4.2 times year-on-year. Meanwhile, production of vodka, liquid milk, flour, pure alcohol, copper cathodes, cigarettes, and meat decreased by 1.5 to 60.4 percent.

Industrial sector sales reached MNT 8 trillion as of the preliminary result of January, up by MNT 4.6 trillion (2.4 times) from the same period last year. Mining sector sales accounted for the majority of the increase, rising by MNT 4.4 trillion (2.8 times).

In January, MNT 6.4 trillion worth of industrial products were sold to foreign markets, of which MNT 6.3 trillion came from the mining and quarrying sector.

Of total mining exports, 26.5 percent consisted of coal, 71.7 percent metal ores, 0.9 percent crude oil, and 0.9 percent other mineral products.

Atmospheric Distillation Column of the Oil Refinery Is Ready for Transportation www.montsame.mn

The Atmospheric Distillation Column, the core technological unit of the Oil Refinery being constructed in Altanshiree soum of Dornogobi aimag, has been manufactured by KCP Limited in Chennai, India. Following 17 stages of quality inspections and testing, the column has been filled with nitrogen and prepared for long-distance transportation.

Standing 58.4 meters tall, with a diameter of 3.2 meters and weighing 245 tons, the column will be transported in four sections. In mid-February, it will be shipped by sea from Mumbai, India, and subsequently delivered by trailer from Tianjin Port in China to the refinery site in Mongolia.

The management and engineers of the project implementer, “Mongol Oil Refinery” LLC, reviewed the production progress of the distillation column in December 2025. The manufacturing process has now been fully completed, and the unit is ready for shipment.

Record year for EBRD’s risk-sharing programme in Central Asia and Mongolia www.qazinform.com

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is actively rolling out its risk-sharing framework (RSF) in Central Asia and Mongolia. Under the RSF, the EBRD commits to sharing half of the risk on loans extended by partner financial institutions, helping to unlock critical development opportunities for local businesses, Qazinform News Agency learnt from the Bank's press service. 

Record year for EBRD’s risk-sharing programme in Central Asia and Mongolia
Photo credit: EBRD
In 2025, the EBRD signed 31 risk-sharing transactions worth €28.5 million with 26 companies in Central Asia and Mongolia, an all-time regional record. The Bank supported privately owned companies, typically small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), mainly in the manufacturing, food production and agribusiness sectors, as well as the ones providing services.

Many of these transactions went beyond traditional financing, combining capital with investment grants and advisory services to help companies strengthen their capacity to handle financial and operational challenges, and boost their social, environmental and governance (ESG) practices.
Projects across the region included:

In Kazakhstan, Temirservice Astana, a privately owned railway operator, received a KZT 1.9 billion (€3.2 million) loan from Bank CenterCredit for the construction of an 11,000 m² class-A warehouse complex.

In the Kyrgyz Republic, Steelex, a leading aluminium extrusion manufacturer, received  4.8 million UD dollars (€ 4 million) from Demir Kyrgyz International Bank, to support its vertical integration and help to expand aluminium scrap recycling. The project will help with the adoption of inclusive human resources (HR) policies, introduce flexible work arrangements and launch a university internship programme. The EBRD and Kyrgyz Investment and Credit Bank also provided a joint $ 1.1 million US dollars (€ 0.9 million) loan to HTI Group, the country's leading plastic packaging manufacturer, to modernise its equipment and reduce energy consumption. The project will benefit from an investment grant for energy-efficient solutions.

The EBRD has used risk-sharing agreements since the early 2000s. Over the years, the Bank has expanded these into unfunded risk participations, first loss guarantees and co lending frameworks. The modern, scaled up version of risk sharing, especially the unfunded risk participation model widely used today in some countries, accelerated in the mid 2010s as part of the EBRD’s push to mobilise more private capital and support SMEs and green transition projects.

The EBRD is the largest institutional investor in Central Asia. To date it has financed 1,250 projects worth more than €21 billion.

As written before, Kazakhstan is a leader in foreign investments in Central Asia, stated Hüseyin Özhan, EBRD Managing Director for Central Asia and Mongolia.